Multipurpose hand-held tool designed for use with grinder

Abstract

A device for supporting a workpiece for being ground to size by the use of a grinding means, comprising a base member having a work-supporting means operably associated therewith. The base member supports the work-supporting means by a hinge member, with the base member and the work-supporting means normally being in an aligned relationship, but with the hinge member enabling the relationship of the work-supporting means to the base member to be angularly modified on occasion. The work-supporting means has thereon a work-clamping device constructed and arranged to hold a workpiece in a selected position, such that a portion of the workpiece held in the work-clamping device can be brought into direct contact with the grinding means. A depth-controlling member operably mounted upon the base member is positioned to normally contact a workpiece held in the work-clamping device. The position of the depth-controlling member is adjustable, so that the amount of material to be removed from the workpiece can be selectively controlled. A latch member under control of a user and operatively associated with the hinge member makes it readily possible to move the work-supporting means and its work-clamping device out of the aligned relationship, thus enabling an already-ground workpiece to be removed from the work-clamping device and an unground workpiece substituted, without altering the position of the depth controlling member.

We claim: 
     
       1. A device for supporting a workpiece for being ground to size by the use of mechanical grinding means including a belt grinder and a disk grinder, said device comprising a base member having a work-supporting means operably associated therewith, said base member supporting said work-supporting means by an interconnection means constructed to enable said work-supporting means to be moved with respect to said base member on occasion in a substantially vertical plane passing through said base member, said work-supporting means having thereon a work-clamping device, said work-clamping device including means for holding a workpiece in a selected position, such that a portion of the workpiece held in said work-clamping device can be brought into direct contact with the selected grinding means, a depth-controlling member mounted upon said base member, with a part of said depth-controlling member being positioned to contact a workpiece held in said work-clamping device, the position of said depth-controlling member being adjustable, so that the amount of material to be removed from the workpiece by the grinding means can be selectively controlled, said interconnection means making it readily possible for said work-supporting means to be moved in the substantially vertical plane passing through said base member such that the workpiece can be removed from said work-clamping device without altering the position of said depth controlling member. 
     
     
       2. The device for supporting a workpiece for being ground to size as recited in claim 1 in which said base member and said work-supporting means are disposed in substantial alignment during a workpiece grinding procedure. 
     
     
       3. The device for supporting a workpiece for being ground to size as recited in claim 2 in which latch means are utilized for controlling the relationship of said work-supporting means to said base member, said latch means normally holding said work-supporting means in an essentially parallel relationship to said base member, but upon manipulation of said latch means by a user, said work-supporting means can be readily moved with respect to said base member, to make readily accessible, the workpiece that has been ground, and permit the ready release of the workpiece. 
     
     
       4. The device for supporting a workpiece for being ground to size as recited in claim 1 in which said interconnection means is a hinge means making possible said work-supporting means being movable out of an aligned relationship with said base member, the workpiece, after being ground to a selected size and configuration, being able to be released without altering the position of said depth-controlling member, such release being assisted by the use of said hinge means for bringing about movement of said work-supporting means with respect to said base member. 
     
     
       5. The device for supporting a workpiece for being ground to size as recited in claim 1 in which position-controlling means are attached to said work-supporting means, said position-controlling means being effective for establishing a precise position of said work-clamping device and therefore the workpiece with respect to the grinding means. 
     
     
       6. The device for supporting a workpiece for being ground to size as recited in claim 1 in which said work-clamping device is a dual unit symmetrically located with respect to the longitudinal centerline of said work-supporting means, said work-clamping device being adapted to receive a workpiece of generally U-shaped configuration. 
     
     
       7. The device for supporting a workpiece for being ground to size as recited in claim 1 in which said work-clamping device is a single unit, disposed on the longitudinal centerline of said work-supporting means, said work-clamping device being adapted to receive a single axis workpiece. 
     
     
       8. The device for supporting a workpiece for being ground to size as recited in claim 7 in which an adjustable spacing device is mounted on said work-supporting means, said adjustable spacing device enabling a selected amount of the single axis workpiece to be removed. 
     
     
       9. The device for supporting a workpiece for being ground to size as recited in claim 1 in which a protractor is operatively mounted on said base member, with the position of the protractor on the base member being readily adjustable with respect to the longitudinal centerline extending through said base member, said protractor, when set at a desired angle to such longitudinal centerline, enabling the user to bring about the grinding of the end of the workpiece at the desired angle. 
     
     
       10. A device for supporting a workpiece for being ground to size by the use of mechanical grinding means including a belt grinder and a disk grinder, said device comprising a base member having a work-supporting means operably associated therewith, said base member supporting said work-supporting means by the use of a hinge member, such that the relationship of said work-supporting means to said base member may, on occasion, be readily changed by a user, said base member supporting a pair of positioning rods disposed in a spaced-apart, parallel relationship to the longitudinal centerline of said base member, each of said positioning rods having a forwardmost end whose position with respect to said work-supporting means can be readily adjusted, said work-supporting means having thereon a work-clamping device, said work-clamping device having means for holding a workpiece in a selected position, such that a portion of the workpiece held in said work-clamping device can be brought into direct contact with the grinding means, means for mounting a depth-controlling member upon said base member, with a part of said depth-controlling member being positioned to contact a workpiece held in said work-clamping device, the position of said depth-controlling member being readily adjustable, so that the amount of material to be removed from the end of the workpiece by the grinding means can be selectively controlled, the user, by extending the forwardmost ends of said positioning rods to dissimilar positions and into contact with a member operatively associated with the grinding means, enabling the end of the workpiece to be ground at a selected angle. 
     
     
       11. The device for supporting a workpiece for being ground to size as recited in claim 10 in which the workpiece, after being ground to a selected size and configuration, can be released without altering the position of said depth-controlling member, such release being assisted by the use of said hinge member for bringing about rotative movement of said work-supporting means with respect to said base member. 
     
     
       12. The device for supporting a workpiece for being ground to size as recited in claim 10 in which latch means are utilized for controlling the relationship of said work-supporting means to said base member, said latch means normally holding said work-supporting means in an essentially parallel relationship to said base member, but upon manipulation of said latch means by a user, said work-supporting means can be readily rotated about said hinge member with respect to said base member, to permit the ready release of the workpiece that has been ground. 
     
     
       13. The device for supporting a workpiece for being ground to size as recited in claim 10 in which position-controlling means are attached to said work-supporting means, said position-controlling means being usable for establishing a precise position of said work-clamping device and therefore the workpiece with respect to the grinding means, said position-controlling means including adjustment means enabling a user to readily adjust the desired relationship of said work-clamping device to said work-supporting means. 
     
     
       14. The device for supporting a workpiece for being ground to size as recited in claim 10 in which said work-clamping device is a dual unit symmetrically located with respect to the longitudinal centerline of said work-supporting means, said work-clamping device being adapted to receive a workpiece of generally U-shaped configuration. 
     
     
       15. The device for supporting a workpiece for being ground to size as recited in claim 14 in which the user, by extending the forwardmost ends of said positioning rods to dissimilar positions and into contact with a member associated with the grinding means, is enabled to grind the ends of the U-shaped workpiece at a selected angle, and the legs of the U-shaped workpiece to dissimilar lengths. 
     
     
       16. The device for supporting a workpiece for being ground to size as recited in claim 10 in which said work-clamping device is a single unit, disposed on the longitudinal centerline of said work-supporting means, said work-clamping device being adapted to receive a single axis workpiece. 
     
     
       17. The device for supporting a workpiece for being ground to size as recited in claim 16 in which an adjustable spacing device is mounted on said work-supporting means, said adjustable spacing device enabling a selected amount of the single axis workpiece to be removed. 
     
     
       18. The device for supporting a workpiece for being ground to size as recited in claim 16 in which the user, by extending the forwardmost ends of said positioning rods to dissimilar positions and into contact with a member operatively associated with the grinding means, is enabled to grind the end of the workpiece at a selected angle. 
     
     
       19. The device for supporting a workpiece for being ground to size as recited in claim 10 in which a protractor is operatively mounted on said base member, with the position of the protractor on the base member being readily adjustable with respect to the longitudinal centerline extending through said base member, said protractor, when set at a desired angle to such longitudinal centerline, enabling the user to bring about the setting of the positioning rods at precisely established lengths, thus to readily make possible the grinding of the end of the workpiece at the desired angle. 
     
     
       20. A device for supporting a workpiece for being ground to size by the use of mechanical grinding means including a belt grinder and a disk grinder, said device comprising a base member having a work-supporting means operably associated therewith, said base member supporting said work-supporting means by the use of a hinge member, such that the relationship of said work-supporting means to said base member may, on occasion, be readily changed by a user, said base member having means thereon supporting a pair of positioning rods disposed in a spaced-apart, parallel relationship to the longitudinal centerline of said base member, each of said positioning rods having a forwardmost end whose position with respect to said work-supporting means can be readily adjusted, means for locking said positioning rods in selected positions, said work-supporting means having thereon a work-clamping device, said work-clamping device including means for holing therein a workpiece in a selected position, such that a portion of the workpiece held in said work-clamping device can be brought into direct contact with the grinding means, a depth-controlling member mounted upon said base member, with a part of said depth-controlling member being positioned to contact a workpiece held in said work-clamping device, the position of said depth-controlling member being readily adjustable, so that the amount of material to be removed from the end of the workpiece by the selected grinding means can be selectively controlled by appropriate adjustment of said depth controlling member, said positioning rods, when extended to dissimilar positions, with the forwardmost ends of said positioning rods brought into contact with a member operatively associated with the grinding means, enabling said work-clamping device to be held at a selected angle to the grinding means, whereby the end of the workpiece can be ground to that selected angle. 
     
     
       21. The device for supporting a workpiece for being ground to size as recited in claim 20 in which said work-clamping device is a single unit, disposed on the longitudinal centerline of said work-supporting means, said work-clamping device being adapted to receive a single axis workpiece. 
     
     
       22. The device for supporting a workpiece for being ground to size as recited in claim 20 in which said work-clamping device is a dual unit symmetrically located with respect to the longitudinal centerline of said work-supporting means, said work-clamping device being adapted to receive a workpiece of generally U-shaped configuration. 
     
     
       23. A device for supporting a workpiece for being ground to size by the use of mechanical grinding means, said device comprising a base member and a work-supporting means, said work-supporting means having thereon a work-clamping device, interconnection means operably interconnecting said work-supporting means with said base member, with said interconnection means enabling said work-supporting means to be relatively movable with respect to said base member in a substantially vertical plane passing through said base member, said work-supporting means being movable into and out or an operative relationship with base member, said work-clamping device having means for holding a workpiece in a selected position, such that a portion of the workpiece held in said work-clamping device can be brought into direct contact with the selected grinding means when said work-supporting means has moved into said operative relationship with said base member, a depth-controlling member mounted upon said base member, with a part of said depth-controlling member being positioned to contact a workpiece held in said work-clamping device when said work-supporting means has been brought into said operative relationship, means for adjusting the position of said depth-controlling member, so that the amount of material to be removed from the workpiece by the grinding means can be selectively controlled, said interconnection means making readily possible a motion of said work-supporting means in the substantially vertical plane away from said operative relationship with respect to said base member such that the workpiece can be removed from said work-clamping device without altering the position of said depth controlling member.